Automobile lamp socket



March 26, 1940. H. J. SAU ER v AUTOMOBILE LAMP SOCKET Filed June 19,1937 INVENTOR P'gNRY Ll. BAUER ATTORNEY Patented Ma. 26, 1940 1 cam-:STATES.

PATENT" orrlca AUTOMOBILE soc m'r' hem-yd. Sauer, Falrilcld conn,assignor to The 'Kilborn-Sauer Company, Fairiield,. Conn, a

corporation of Connecticut application June 19, 1937,.Serial No: 149,113

v 1 Claim. "(01. 173-429 file-present invention relates to an automo--bile lainp particularly of the typeadapted 'in-tall lamps, signal lamps,head lamps and the like. Heretofo're these sockets have conof a shell inwhich a helical spring was disposed-tor resiliently supporting, thecontact end" of the wire, and which spring when comwith the edge of .theopenin in the shell" th'rough which it extended, with the result thatthe insulation was apt to become scraped and cut;

object of the present invention is to provide a. socket in which arubber insert member provides spring support for the contact end" of thefwire and at-the same timeseals the interior of the shell againstentrance oi dirt and moisture, 5 "the sealing being efl'ected throughcompression or the rubber, so that the sealed relation is maintained'atall times while the socket is in i. A further object is to provide as apart of such rubber insert a protective ferrule engaged in the 9' holein the shell so that the wire is resiliently supported out of contactwith the shell and is effecf tively insulated from the shell, thewirepassage oi the insert member tightly closing and sealing about the wireupon compression of the insert 5' member.

-- 'With the above and other objects in view em bodiments of theinvention are shownin the ace 'companying drawing, and these embodimentswill be hereinafter more fully described with rel- U erence thereto, andthe invention will be finally out in the claim.

' 1. "In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vehicle lamp showing the socketaccording to the present invention provided therein.

assembled in the socket and in its uncompressed g state beforeconnection of the lamp bulb;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the Fig. 7 is a similar viewshowing the lamp bulb in place and the insert compressed. r

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modified form of the invention andshowing the insert in its uncompressed state before connection of thelamp 5 bulb.

Fig. 9 is a viewshowingthe lamp bulbin place and the insert compressed.I

Fig. 10 is a. sectional view of a further modified form of socket andshowing the lamp bulb in 10 p e: 3 i

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral -fligures oi the drawing. I

Referring to the drawing, the vehicle lamp comprises aback orcasffigmember I0 having a central aperture I land a forwardly bent slightlyconvergent rim l2 adaptedltoreceive the lens l3, which latter isremovably' secured by a. split spring ring ll engaged over the edgeflange ii of go the lens andheld in-place by the slight convergence ofthe rim l2. An attaching bracket I6 is secured to the rearsurface ofthecasing In by riveting, spot wel i g, or the like,: and is pro- .videdwith an-apertu're I1 registering with the g5 aperturell oi the 0 5 8-The lamp socket shell l8, of cylindrical cupshape, is 'sjecuredin theapertures II and H in the usual manner by welding or soldering, and isprovided in its outer flanged end with'a central 30 aperture l9 and inits side wall adjacent the inner end with a pair of bayonetslots -20.The rubber insert member 2| is provided at its base end with a flange22adapted to seat against the flanged 'end of the shell and has acylindrical 5 ferrule projection 23 at its outer end adapted to engageand project through the aperture IQ of theshell. .A central passage 24is provided in the insert through which the insulation covered wire. 25is engaged, this wirehaving its end se- 0 [cured by soldering to anannular eyelet contact member 26, provided centrally of a compressiondisc 21 formed of fibre or other suitable insulation material, and whichengages the inner end of the insert member. 5

' The lamp base. 28' is provided with oppositely disposed pins 29 whichengage the bayonet slots and with a center contact 30 which engages thebutton end 26 of the wire, the rubber insert memher being compressedthrough engagement of the so lamp base, and the lamp base beingyieldably retained through outward pressure. in interlocking engagementwith the bayonet slots. Upon compression of the rubber it is expanded atits sides, as shown in Fig. 7, andthe ilange end. 22 is tight- '5rubbing engagement with the shell. The passage 24 contracts and sealsabout the wire 25.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a modification of the invention in whichthe outer side wall of the insert is slightly concave, as at 2|, so thatwhen it is compressed, as shown in Fig. 9, by engagement of the lampbulb base the outer wall expands into tight engagement with the innerwall of the shell.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a modification in which the insulating disc 211s dispensed with, the wire having a tubular flanged rivet-like member32 secured upon its end by welding or soldering, and which provides acentrally dished contact end for engagement of the center contact of thelamp base having, a compression member for compressing the rubber insertmember. The member 32 is of suiflcient diameter to engage a relativelylarge area of the inner end of the insert member, 50 that the latterwill be effectually compressed upon engagement of the lamp base with theshell, but at the same time is sufficiently spaced from the side wall ofthe shell to prevent any possibility of contact therewith.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodimentsof the invention,'but

it will be obvious that changes may be made J therein, within the spiritand scope thereof, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

In a lamp socket, a cup-shaped shell comprising a cylindrical side wallhaving meansfor interlocking engagement of a lamp bulb and a planularbase flange extending inwardly from one end of said wall and having acentral opening, the wall of said opening extending axially inwardlyfrom the outer surface of said flange and terminating at the innersurface of said flange, a resilient insert of rubber engaged insaidshell in contacting relation at one end with the inner surface of saidbase flange and having at said end a central integral extension engagedin said opening and projecting outwardly therefrom beyond the outersurfaceisof said base flange, the projecting portion of said extensionbeing unconfined at its side and end surfaces whereby it is free toflexrelatively ,to said base flange, said insert having a central wirereceiving passage extending through said extension to the inner end ofsaid insert, a flexible wire engaged through said passage, acompressionmember secured to the end of said wire of greater diameter than thediam.- eter of said central opening of said shell and engaging the innerend of said insert in axially opposed parallel relation to the baseflange of said shell, said compression member adapted to be pressed bythe lamp bulb engaged in said socket toward said base flange to compresssaid insert, whereby the annular outer portion of said insert is axiallycompressed while said central integral extension remains non-compressed.

HENRY J. SAUER.

